Swollen, inflamed and bloody testicles... (Graphic pics))

[Preitler]

Hi,

yesterday I noticed that one of my growout bucks acted somewhat subdued, didn't participate in the feeding frency, so I took him in for the night. He didn't eat much, only nibble an hay, forage and treats, and did not poop all night. Ok, so it's serious.

And then I flipped him on his back for closer examination, and that's what I found: Testis look swollen, right one looks horrible, dark, a little bloody, left has a sunken black spot.
Poor boy :x



Crap. Of course it's the one I considered keeping if my other buck doesn't proof he is up to his job, most friendly buckling I had for a long time, but no, now he's signed up for express trip to freezer camp...

First, I'm going to inspect all others, but has anyone an idea what could have caused this? I never saw any fights or aggression in this group of 8 brothers, can't tell if there's an injury.

 

[alforddm]

Is that a hole in the one on the left? If it is my first thought would be bot fly but I'm not sure you even have those in Europe?

 

[Preitler]

It looked like a hole or injury that healed up, with some necrosis or blood in the center.

The really bad part was the other testicle, it looked like the small spot on the other all over and was a hard lump.
No, never heard of bot flys, we don't have parasits like that here.
He got better in the morning, more active, resumed eating, pooping and peeing ( only after he managed to escape the cage and found that carpets are much too comfy to not poop and pee on them)

After freezing that one I checked all others, and found a second with what looked like an injury. There was a hole in one testicle with a long strand dangling out :x . Picture is post mortem, looked worse when alive.
Didn't seem to be in pain, could still pull in his testis (the other only could that with the left one) and just acted like a happy bunny, but he joined the first one, they have about 5lbs now, so it's time anyway.



What a mess. Never had anything like this before.
I now think these were injuries, although I never saw them fight or found tufts of fur in their hutch. Or has anyone a better theory?

 

[Dood]

Bucks trying to castrate each other - mine start doing this around 12 weeks so they all get a freezer trip before this age, no matter what weight they are

 

[ladysown]

you generally won't see them fight in front of you. They save that for at night.

 

[Preitler]

May be, but I always know when there is trouble among the does, because of the tufts of fur. Obviously they have a more civilized mode of fight, or just making a point.
Never had such mutilation in 3 years, but 8 mature bucks in one hutch...

My rabbits grow slow, I have the growouts 16-20 weeks for 5-6lbs, but since effective meat production is not my priority goal (they are therapy) I'm not going to switch to a completly new stock and/or feeding (90% forage/hay). But I really should think about not to wait that long, actually, I have too much does who want to be bred anyway, it wouldn't hurt to have twice the number at half the output per rabbit, just more work when processing and cooking.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Definitely infighting amongst the bucklings. I had that happen to a group when I left them in a growout pen- and like you, never saw them fight, but found them like that during my morning check.